The Emirates FA Cup will be the guest of honour at Westfields this Saturday and boss Sean Edwards says his side are planning to quite literally grab the opportunity with both hands.
The Hereford-based team were named the Club of the Round – awarded to clubs for their efforts spreading awareness of non-league football – after soaring past Walton Casuals 4-0 in the third round qualifying stage.
It is already some achievement for a club that had only ever reached second round qualifying, and a place in the first round proper is now tantalisingly in reach ahead of the tie with Leiston.
Westfields v Leiston
The Emirates FA Cup
Fourth Round Qualifying
3pm, Saturday 15 October 2016
allpay.park
For Edwards, it is the zenith of his 16 years at the helm and he is not about to let his brush with the cup go to waste.
“People have said that you shouldn’t touch the FA Cup unless you win it, but we’re obviously not going to – so we’ll all be touching it while we still can!” he joked.
“It’s definitely the biggest game I’ve been involved with at the club, and with the FA Cup coming here we’ve had a big meeting planning out the day.
“It’s extra special in our 50th year, but what’s been the best thing is that after we had such a poor year by our standards last year, we’ve bounced back so well.
“I had to give up football when I was 22 in the early 1990s. I wanted something to do and after being assistant manager for seven or eight years I’ve been manager ever since.
“With the committee and the volunteers, we’ve built the club up and to have days like this is brilliant.”
While Westfields are unlikely to be heading to Wembley next May, promotion to the Southern League’s Division One is very much on the table after their 100 per cent start to the season.
Did you know?
Westfields was formed by a group of youngsters in November 1966 who met up for a kick about and one of the founders, Andy Morris, still serves as the club’s chief executive to this very day.
The Fields have won 10 from 10 in the Midland League, which is why Isthmian League Premier outfit Leiston – though two steps above in the football pyramid – will be wary of the challenge that awaits.
And Edwards believes a key addition to the management staff is the reason why Westfields are a club very much on the rise.
“We had a rethink about where we were going and we brought in a fantastic coach last season called Andy Bevan,” he added.
“He’s been involved in Premier League clubs’ junior sections, and he has got his own academy which was attached to West Brom.
“It’s his first time doing the seniors and he has just helped transform what we do.
“He takes all the coaching, and it’s given us all fresh impetus and freed me up to concentrate on the club as a whole.”
FA Cup history
Westfields had only ever reached second round qualifying once before, in 2012/13, and nearly made it through after forcing National League North’s Solihull Moors to a replay.
Leiston – whose FA Cup history extends back to 1945 – reached the first round proper eight years ago but also lost in a replay to Fleetwood Town.
One to watch
If Richard Greaves has the same kind of game as he did against Walton Casuals in the previous tie, then Westfields are as good as in the hat for the next round.
The striker, who joined the club over the summer, scored a hat-trick and the spotlight will only shine brighter on him this Saturday after fellow forward Jamie Molyneux left for neighbours Hereford.
The prize
The prestige of reaching the first round is priceless, but Westfields or Leiston will also be able to add £12,500 to the kitty.
